Traumatised witnesses who saw teenager Kellon Hill stabbed to death are being offered counselling.

The 18-year-old was killed as he left a party at Elbow Beach on August 9 that was attended by dozens of young people.

Four teenage boys and one girl have been charged with murder and possessing weapons in the form of a knife, screwdriver, cane and crash helmets.

Child and Adolescent Services has responded to the incident by providing two walk-in counselling clinics for witnesses of the tragic event and their families.

They will be held tomorrow, Friday August 29, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m and Tuesday September 2 from 9 a.m to 12 p.m at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

Registered Clinical Psychologist Dr. Sandy De Silva said: "Families and individuals should come if they have experienced a significant change in the young person's behaviour since witnessing the incident."

The clinics are aimed in particular at young people experiencing at least three of the following symptoms:

l Wanting to stay close to home and to avoid the outside world.

• Not wanting to participate in routine daily activities.

• Isolation from friends and family members.

• Persistent tearfulness.

• Preoccupation with one's safety.

• The appearance of feeling numb all of the time.

• A high level of irritability or outbursts of anger.

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Dr. De Silva said: "Clinicians at CAS will available on the given dates to provide clinical input to those individuals and their families that meet the criteria above. The clinicians will identify those young people that may require further services and what the plan of care should be."

The counselling is the result of a suggestion from a 50-strong collaboration of people calling themselves the "Coalition of the Concerned Network."

Spokesman Glenn Fubler, co-chair of Imagine Bermuda 2009, said this was just one of a number of strategies thought up by the network to address troubles in the local community.

Anyone interested in joining can email Mr. Fubler on fubler[AT]northrock or call 236-9326.